Buffalo Bills News: Team May Re-Locate Next Home Game To Penn State

The Buffalo Bills had to move their Week 12 home game against the New York Jets to a Monday night matchup in Detroit, after a snowstorm dumped six feet on the stadium. Now the team’s Week 13 game appears to be in jeopardy as well.

On Tuesday, a powerful lake-effect snowstorm slammed into the area just south of the city of Buffalo, including Orchard Park, the home of Ralph Wilson Stadium. Though the Bills initially asked for locals to show up with snow shovels and try to dig the stadium out, the decision was quickly made to shift the game to Detroit.

But with warm weather hitting Buffalo this weekend and the prospect of flooding on top of logistics of removing several tons of snow, the team may need to move its next home game as well. The Bills are scheduled to play the Cleveland Browns at home in Week 13, but may have to shift that one as well, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported.

The NFL is reportedly working with Buffalo Bills officials on backup plans if Ralph Wilson Stadium isn’t ready in time. One of those options could be Penn State, the alma mater of new owner Terry Pegula.

Sources said that Pegula was hopeful that the Bills could re-locate their Week 12 game to Penn State, but the stadium didn’t have the proper infrastructure to host an NFL game. That would also appear to rule out the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, which is just a few hours down the New York State Thruway from Buffalo.

But the Buffalo Bills first must focus on what has become a difficult Week 12 matchup. Though the Jets come into the game at 2-8, including a 20-point loss to the Bills earlier this year, it would seem that New York comes in with an advantage. The Bills were unable to practice this week — and even needed snowmobiles just to get players from their homes to the airport — and the neutral site in Detroit might prove to be hostile. A local Detroit radio station is calling on fans to support the Jets as retribution for former Lions head coach (and current Bills defensive coordinator) Jim Schwartz being carried off Ford Field after a win over the Lions earlier this year.